We recently caught up with Ledisi to discuss her new album “The Crown”, the evolution of her artistry between albums, continuing to maintain such a high level of success, running her own label, some artists she still would want to collaborate with, and much more.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Introduce us to your new album “The Crown”.
Ledisi: I started with “Love You Too”, and I was just making sure I had a single for the following year in case I wanted to go on tour or something. Then I got a call about The Super Bowl and we were just writing songs every other day. Taking our time. Then The Super Bowl called and I figured I had to write something! I was not planning on having an R&B album come out, I was going to take my time and take a break. I had just put out “Good Life”. So it just came naturally. I had finished in December. It just turned into this. A whole 11 songs about life, love and the complexities of that and spirituality. It’s a feel good album.
YouKnowIGotSoul: We’ve witnessed your growth through the years and progressed your sound over the course of albums. Did you try anything this time around?
Ledisi: I went straight to the feel good vibes on this one and didn’t force anything. I didn’t feel like I had to prove anything to anyone, or to try experimental things. I just did whatever felt good that day, it was very natural, no plan, I just wrote. I was a songwriter this time and got to dig deeper in my songwriting bag. I think that part was new and revisiting how I used to write where I was free form, like art. I did not think about what I was doing it for, it was natural. It was so good to have that! *Laughs*
YouKnowIGotSoul: We’re in a heavy time in this world with so much going on. Did that help push you towards making this a feel good album? Because we aren’t hearing a lot of feel good music right now.
Ledisi: I didn’t know, I just knew what I wanted to hear. I’m just going to be real transparent, this wasn’t the plan for me! *Laughs* I knew I needed to use my voice, if I’m going to do anything, I want to empower that feel good feeling. I don’t know if we have it or not, I haven’t really been listening to any music. I’ve just been escaping to writing, or doing the opposite of music. How to write a play, and learning that, or doing something different.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Any dream duets you still have in your mind you’d like to do?
Ledisi: I called so many people for this, I called Leon, I called Babyface, but paths getting crossed. Really I want to work with Babyface, I still want to work with Q-Tip, I’ll say it every time. Joe, still one of my favorite voices, I’d love to sing with. I’d love to get a song written for me by Stevie Wonder.
Listen to the rest of the interview in the video above.
